India concerned over police intrusion in Nepal

Kathmandu, Sep 19 (IANS) The Indian embassy in Kathmandu Thursday said it is concerned over the recent intrusion by an Indian police team into Nepali territory on the pretext of searching for criminals.

Kathmandu, Sep 19 (IANS) The Indian embassy in Kathmandu Thursday said it is concerned over the recent intrusion by an Indian police team into Nepali territory on the pretext of searching for criminals.

A team of "armed" police personnel from India raided a house at Gulariya-8 in Bardiya district in south-western Nepal Wednesday morning.

According to reports, authorities in Nepal were not informed in advance of the Indian police's entry into Nepali territory and the subsequent raid.

The police team from Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh state of India raided the house of one Manjur Shrestha on the pretext of searching for runaway criminals.

"We have received queries from the media regarding the allegation that some Indian policemen raided a house at Gulariya-8 in Bardiya district of Nepal Sep 18," the Indian embassy in Kathmandu said in a press statement.

"The matter is under investigation. We do not condone such incidents and if these reports are found to be true, action will be taken," it added.

At a time Nepal is seriously debating the issue of nationality ahead of the Nov 19 constituent assembly elections, this issue has been hyped in the local media, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have a number of posts with messages voicing outrage.

Political parties in this Himalayan nation have also expressed outrage at the incident.

Nepal's radical Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), a breakaway faction of the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), Thursday submitted a memorandum at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu protesting the Indian police's act.

In the memorandum, the CPN-M termed the incident as a gross violation of Nepal's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It termed the incident as a "blatant attack of the Indian ruling class on Nepal's national sovereignty".

Meanwhile, Nepal's foreign ministry has also drawn the attention of the Indian government through the Indian embassy to the incident.

The ministry, in a statement, said it has also expressed concern over the incident and has requested the Indian side to investigate the matter and make sure that such incidents did not recur.

The Indian side has given its assurance that it would investigate the matter and, if it is found to be true, take appropriate action against officials concerned and make sure that such incidents did not occur in future, said the ministry statement.

It has also demanded a public apology from the Indian side and sought a commitment to not repeat such acts.

Former prime minister and senior leader of UCPN-M Baburam Bhattarai, who is known as an India-loyalist, also condemned the act Thursday.

Bhattarai said the Nepali people were being forced to remain mute spectators to open attacks on their sovereign rights.

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